On the west coast of maui. Firefighters are continuing to battle wildfires with officials saying they are 80 contained. This report from our North America correspondent sean daly. A community in smouldering ruins. Many homes here burned to charge rex. The church and the harbour among the Historic Site wiped out by the flames that tore indiscriminately through the former picturesque tourist town. The us marines and National Guard among the Emergency Workers on the ground. The us President Joe Biden has declared the situation as a major disaster. We situation as a maor disaster. We are situation as a maor disaster. We seeing situation as a major disaster. Are seeing loss of life here. As you know, the number has been rising and we will continue to see loss of life but we have extraordinary professionals working on this job. We also have seen many hundreds of homes destroyed. And that is going to take a great deal of time to recover from. To take a great deal of time to recover from. ,. ,. , recover from. The area has felt the bi est recover from. The area has felt the biggest impact recover from. The area has felt the biggest impact from recover from. The area has felt the biggest impact from the recover from. The area has felt the biggest impact from the wildfires, | biggest impact from the wildfires, the death toll is rising. Most fires are under control but authorities are under control but authorities are still working on a number of fires on maui and the neighbouring big island. Here in lahaina Rescue Efforts are moving quickly now winds of up to 80 kilometres an hour have died down. Military resources opening up a path for rescuers to search for survivors and recover those who have died. Authorities in lahaina say they 150 year old la haina say they 150 year old Scorched Lahaina say they 150 year old scorched fig tree should recover but it may take far longer to recover a community robbed of houses and hundreds of years of history. 0ne Community robbed of houses and hundreds of years of history. One of the most famous residents of maui island is 0prah the most famous residents of maui island is Oprah Winfrey and she has been meeting residents and lending a hand with the Relief Effort. 0ur reporter caught up with her. It is hand with the Relief Effort. Our reporter caught up with her. It is a little overwhelming. Reporter caught up with her. It is a little overwhelming. But reporter caught up with her. It is a little overwhelming. But i reporter caught up with her. It is a little overwhelming. But i am reporter caught up with her. It is a little overwhelming. But i am so l little overwhelming. But i am so pleased to have so many people, people just bringing what they can. So i came earlierjust to see what people needed. And then when shopping because often, you make donations of clothes or whatever and its not the people need so i went to costco and got. Shampoo. Sheets . , ,. ,. , sheets that must Oprah Winfrey helinu sheets that must Oprah Winfrey helping with sheets that must Oprah Winfrey helping with the sheets that must Oprah Winfrey helping with the Relief Sheets that must Oprah Winfrey helping with the Relief Efforts. I earlier i spoke to local reporter Dillon Ancheta from Hawaii News Now he gave us the latest on the situation and the Relief Effort the officials said the fires were 80 contained, the biggest and most severe fire burning is in lahaina in west maui and erase the Historic Town of lahaina and as you said this is a constantly changing situation, in fact minutes ago we learned of more fatalities so that brings the total number of debt up to 55. We are hearing this could be one of the worst disasters on the island, has anything like this ever happened before. The number of those dead. We had a number of wildfires on hama island, the bigger island, there was a wildfire that burned thousands of acres and destroyed some structures but most of that was dry open grass. 0f but most of that was dry open grass. Of course, the area is no stranger to national disasters, 96 a hurricane came through which caused i think around six or eight deaths and then there was a tsunami in the early 19605 but by far, nothing compared to theirs. We are already seeing a massive lo55 compared to theirs. We are already seeing a massive loss of life and entire town5 wiped from the map. It is unheard of. Like entire towns wiped from the map. It is unheard oh is unheard of. Like you say, really sad to hear is unheard of. Like you say, really sad to hear potentially is unheard of. Like you say, really sad to hear potentially another. Is unheard of. Like you say, reallyl sad to hear potentially another two deaths on the island taking the number up to 55. President biden has announced a State Of Emergency which means federal aid will begin to arrive, the money can be released to provide that but how easy is it to get aid and to get those who can help the situation to the island . Has help the situation to the island . Is you know, help the situation to the island . 23 you know, hama is an island place and getting anything here either takes a five hour plane ride from the mainland United States or by boat could take longer and even there is some delay. We had a call out to the community for donations. There was someone who owned a boat to date that said i am leaving honolulu at 2 pm, bring what you can, lets fill the boat and get things to the island so even though resources from the federal site and the mainland may take time to get here, enter islanders are already helping and i understand in terms of manpower, some resources have arrived here in the state, extra hands to fight the fire, National Guard is here doing what they can. I know we are not at the stage at the moment, we are in the Emergency Response stage but the pictures we are seeing, homes destroyed, history destroyed. When it comes to trying to rebuild this island, it is going to rebuild this island, it is going to take years, isnt it . It to rebuild this island, it is going to take years, isnt it . To take years, isnt it . It really is. To take years, isnt it . It really is again. To take years, isnt it . It really is again. An to take years, isnt it . It really is. Again, an entire to take years, isnt it . It really is. Again, an entire town to take years, isnt it . It really is. Again, an entire town has l to take years, isnt it . It really is. Again, an entire town has been wiped from the map and for so many, it is so hard to believe that a lot of it is due to the fact that so many people have yet to be allowed back into lahaina so for them, they are only seeing if they have Cell Phone Service at this time, they are seeing the images we are getting. Keepin seeing the images we are getting. Keep in mind west maui are still without self service, there are over 1000 people unaccounted for and that is because the lines of cell towers and Communications Remain severed. We heard from us officials earlier today that it will take weeks if not months to get it back and to get the lines of communication back but in terms of rebuilding lahaina town, the Governorjosh Green said the new lahaina will take time and billions of dollars but nonetheless, it will be in your lahaina in the vision of the residents but at the end of the day, you really cannot replace what was lost. We are talking history, lahaina used to be the capital of the kingdom, the old Lahaina Court house has ancient homeland artefacts, it had a flag, a frail tooth laced with human hair, priceless artefacts and they are lost forever and it is heartbreaking. As you can imagine, reports have been affected by the flights. People happen arriving back on the us mainland. Ranji sinha, from the bbc� s us partner cbs, spoke to some of the people who made it off the island to return to seattle. Thus, it was just black. You thus, it wasjust black. You could see the orange glow of the fires. Underneath the black smoke. Aha. Underneath the black smoke. A Destination Wedding turned into an Escape Effort as fires start lahaina minutes away from where she was staying. Minutes away from where she was sta in. ,. , minutes away from where she was sta inc. , staying. There was no power, fire trucks everywhere, staying. There was no power, fire trucks everywhere, no staying. There was no power, fire trucks everywhere, no gas, staying. There was no power, fire l trucks everywhere, no gas, people lined up at gas stations. The Whidbey Island lined up at gas stations. The Whidbey Island native made it but had to avoid claims to get to the maui airport with natives helping people to get away. We maui airport with natives helping people to get away. Maui airport with natives helping people to get away. We had to go up on the north people to get away. We had to go up on the north side people to get away. We had to go up on the north side of people to get away. We had to go up on the north side of the people to get away. We had to go up on the north side of the island on the north side of the island which took three hours. Three water, free food, a free bathroom because there was people ditching the rental cars all along the sides of the road. Because there was no gas. When we woke up road. Because there was no gas. When we woke up on road. Because there was no gas. When we woke up on wednesday road. Because there was no gas. When we woke up on wednesday it was obvious we woke up on wednesday it was obvious it we woke up on wednesday it was obvious it was a very serious situation obvious it was a very serious situation and so we packed up our stuff, situation and so we packed up our stuff, found whatever flight we could stuff, found whatever flight we could and got out. Stuff, found whatever flight we could and got out. Tanya nathan and jason are could and got out. Tanya nathan and jason are safe could and got out. Tanya nathan and jason are safe but could and got out. Tanya nathan and jason are safe but feeling could and got out. Tanya nathan and jason are safe but feeling sad could and got out. Tanya nathan and jason are safe but feeling sad at jason are safe but feeling sad at leaving the people and an devastation behind. People doing what they can devastation behind. People doing what they can but devastation behind. People doing what they can but dealing devastation behind. People doing what they can but dealing with i devastation behind. People doing what they can but dealing with a l what they can but dealing with a terrible situation. This what they can but dealing with a terrible situation. Terrible situation. This will be a weird story terrible situation. This will be a weird story to terrible situation. This will be a weird story to tell terrible situation. This will be a weird story to tell people terrible situation. This will be a weird story to tell people but i terrible situation. This will be a weird story to tell people but Itj Weird Story to tell people but it will not weird story to tell people but it will not be devastating our lives. Samuel will not be devastating our lives. Samuel webb a native of maui is going on a road trip but he lamented that lahaina is mostly gone. It is surreal because that lahaina is mostly gone. It 3 surreal because that place it has existed my whole life. I grew up there. I grew up going there. And i would not expect it to jUst Burn Down in one night. This would not expect it to Ust Burn Down in one night. Would not expect it to Ust Burn Down in one night. As you heard from some of the down in one night. As you heard from some of the people, down in one night. As you heard from some of the people, it down in one night. As you heard from some of the people, it is down in one night. As you heard from some of the people, it is a down in one night. As you heard from some of the people, it is a sombre i some of the people, it is a sombre mood on the flights back here to the mainland from maui and the people we spoke to were glad they were able to get to safety but saddened by the fact many people on maui were not so lucky. We keep you updated on the wildfires throughout the day. Around the world and across the uk, this is bbc news. Lets look at some other stories making news. Police are investigating the death of a ten Year Old Girl in surrey as murder. The girls body was found inside a Home On Hammond Road in woking in the early hours of thursday. Herfamily is being supported by specialist officers and police say theyre not looking for anyone else in connection with her death. The Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland has said he wont resign following a significant data breach. Simon byrne cut short a Family Holiday to return to belfast, where he faced several hours of questioning by the Northern Ireland policing board. He said he was deeply sorry about the data breaches that have revealed the identities of thousands of Police Officers and staff. A plane was forced to make an Emergency Land on the aao in gloucestershire after a suspected engine failure. The aircraft was on its way to Gloucestershire Airport when it landed on the busy main road but amazingly no one was hurt. Investigations into the cause of the incident are ongoing. Youre live with bbc news more than 100,000 migrants have crossed the English Channel in small boats in the past five years. The government started the official count in 2018, but it doesnt include those who made it across without being intercepted by the authorities. 0ur Reporter Simonjones joins us from dover on the south coast. Simon, 100,000 people crossing the channel, that is not a small number and that number has risen this morning . And that number has risen this mornin . , � , and that number has risen this morninu . , v , and that number has risen this mornin2 , � ,. , and that number has risen this mornin . , � ,. ,. , morning . Yes, its been added to already this morning . Yes, its been added to already this morning, morning . Yes, its been added to already this morning, standing i morning . Yes, its been added toj already this morning, standing up here on the famous White Cliffs Of Dover we have seen the border for spring into groups of migrants, the first boat had around 60 or 70 people on board. The second had even more so that is going to take the figure for the past five years when these crossings have really been taking place, to well over 100,000. We know hundreds of thousands of people arrived yesterday, it was the first calm day we had in the channel for several weeks, and it is a really wet and windy and miserable night. Dont forget, for a government that has pledged to stop the boat it is an unwelcome milestone. It can be an extremely dangerous crossing, 17 people had to be pulled from the water, lifeboats went out from the coast of dungeness to help rescue those people after their boat started to sink and we know from the french authorities that another boat carrying eight people got stuck by a sand bank. The eight people on board that boat refused to be risky because they said they wanted to get a uk water is to be picked up by the border force or lifeboat and brought here to dover but after several hours when their boat was clearly going nowhere and the situation was becoming more dangerous, they agreed to be taken back to france but it shows how dangerous these crossings can be but these crossings continue pretty much every time we see calm weather out in the channel. Weather out in the channel. There is a lot of pressure weather out in the channel. There is a lot of pressure on weather out in the channel. There is a lot of pressure on the weather out in the channel. There is a lot of pressure on the uk a lot of pressure on the uk government to curb these numbers. We have seen the reminder scheme set up and no Asylum Seekers being put on barges. Is there any sign any of thatis barges. Is there any sign any of that is working as a deterrent . The government that is working as a deterrent . Tie government says that is working as a deterrent . Tte government says its policies that is working as a deterrent . Ttl government says its policies to stop the boats are starting to have an effect. If you look at the figure so far this year, the actual number arriving, around 15,000, it sounds a lot but thats actually 19 down on the figure we saw this time last year so the government says yes, increased patrols on beaches in Northern France that it is funding, Thatis Northern France that it is funding, that is starting to deliver results. Returns agreement with albania, that are starting to deliver results but i think the reality is a lot of critics will say it is actually very weather dependent and for the past few weeks, we have had very windy weather in the channel. Critics say thatis weat